Envelope or like container



I CD

' the ends of said transverse sections.

Patented May 8, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Fridolin A. Buholzer and George Schock, New York, N. Y.

Application February 6, 1933, Serial No. 655,385

7 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in receptacles and has reference to the type of envelopes, wrappers, bags, sacks, or like enclosures, made of paper or of transparent cellulose material, provided with closure members which are adapted to be folded into position to close the open ends of said envelope, wrapper, bag, sack,

or like enclosures without sealing said members with a sealing substance.

An envelope of this kind has been suggested wherein the blank thereof has been made of rectangular form with one end of the blank scored transversely to provide folding lines and to define sections therebetween which are foldable along said lines to superimpose the various sections and thus form a closure flap and recesses or pockets into one of which said flap is insertable to close the open end of the envelope without sealing the same. The blank is also scored longitudinally throughout its length along lines which intersect the transverse folding lines to thus form two side sections which combine, when folded along said longitudinal lines, to constitute the back of the envelope, the straight outer edges of said side sections overlapping along the center of the envelope so that they can be pasted together by a strip of adhesive which is applied to the entire length of one of the straight outer longitudinal edges of the blank including the adjacent ends of said transverse sections. Due to the rectangular form of the blank, the sections defined by said transverse folding lines are of the same length and their adjacent ends are in longitudinal alignment. As a consequence of this, after said sections have been superimposed and the side sections are folded on the longitudinal lines into overlapping relation with each other to complete the body of the envelope, the folds formed at the opposite ends of said transverse sections must be inserted one into the other, or, in other words interengaged, in order that the entire length of the strip of adhesive will be effective to secure together the overlapped longitudinal edges of the blank including the folds formed at This overlapping operation, including the insertion of said folds at one end of the transverse sections into those at the other end thereof, is a comparatively difficult one to perform and makes the cost of manufacture of such an envelope prohibitive for the reason that said operation must be accomplished by hand.

An object of the present invention is to overcome the diificulty above noted by providing a blank for the envelope in Which the adjacent ends of the transverse sections that combine to form the open end of the envelope are so disposed relative to each other and have an adhesive applied to certain of them in such manner that the longitudinal outer edges of the side sections of the envelope, including the ends of said transverse sections, may be secured together by a simple overlapping of said edges without the necessity of inserting folds at the ends of said transverse sections into each other.

Another object is to provide a method of manufacturing envelopes, wrappers, bags, sacks or like enclosures which may be manufactured by automatic machinery now in utilization, as for example by the rotary process.

The above and other objects will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which shows a preferred ernbodiment of the inventive idea.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a plan view of the back of an envelope constructed in accordance with the invention showing the same in its completely closed posi- Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section, on the line 2-2 Figure 1, through the envelope with the closure member thereof in opened position.

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the closure member tucked into one of the pockets or recesses formed by the transverse sections of the envelope blank which combine to form the open end of the envelope.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the blank from which the envelope is made, and

Figure 5 is a similar view showing the blank in a partially folded position in which the required adhesive is applied before completing the folding operation.

Envelopes or other containers made in accordance with the present invention are especially adapted for use in the transmission of other than first class mail, commercial papers and the like, or may be made up in the form of bags of various sizes for containing different kinds of commodities. The envelope, Wrapper, bag, sack, or like enclosure may be made of any suitable material such as paper of the proper weight, or of any other desired material such as of transparent cellulose nature, and the blank of the class described when constructed from a blank of the present invention do not require clasps, clips or other fastening means for securing the closure member of the said envelope, wrapper,

in said figure.

close the open end of the envelope.

bag, sack, or of other like enclosure in its operarive position.

The blank comprises a sheet of the desired material which is scored or otherwise marked on the parallel longitudinal lines 6 to define a central section 7 and the two side sections 8 and 9, both of which extend throughout the length of the blank. A transverse score line 10 combines with the lines 6 to form from the section 7 a portion of the body of the envelope which constitutes the front or face thereof, and said side sections 8 and 9, when folded in overlapping relation as will appear in the course of the description, constitute the back of the envelope.

Further transverse score lines 11 and 12, which intersect the lines 6 and extend throughout the width of the blank, define the three transverse sections 13, 14 and 15. When the blank is first folded upon the line 10 so that the section 13 will overlie the portion of the section '7 forming the face of the envelope and is subsequently folded upon the line 11 in an opposite direction, the two sections 13 and 14 will be superimposed one upon the other so that after the envelope has been completely assembled by theoverlapping of the side sections 8 and 9 which are folded over on the lines 6, the sections 13 and 14, as shown in Figure 2, will combine to form recesses or pockets 16 on opposite sides of the envelope for a purpose which will presently appear.

The transverse section 15 constitutes the closure member or flap of the envelope and has the diagonal score lines 1'7 which combine with the adjacent extremities of the lines 6 to formcorner folds 18 which are tucked in, as indicated in Figure 5, as each side section is folded over on the line 6 so that said closure member will have diagonal ends as designated by the numeral 19 This will enable the closure member to be more easily inserted into one of the pockets 16 as illustrated in Figure 3, to thereby After said envelope has been completed, the open end'thereof is formed by the opposed portions of the section 14 and also those of the section 15, as indi cated in Figure 2. The ends and medial portion of the section 15 are provided with the tabs 20 which, when the envelope is completely folded, as in Figure 2, align with each other in superposed relation, and when the closure flap is inserted into one'of the pockets 16, as in Figure 3, these tabs 20 are folded against the closure flap and extend upwardly in the pocket so that they may be grasped and pulled outwardly when it is desired to open the envelope.

The entire length of the section 15 is equal to the combined width of the sections '7, 8 and 9 forming the body portion of the envelope, but the length of each of the sections 13 and 14 is less than said combined width, as will be seen clearly from the blank in Figure 4. Further, the right hand end 21 of the section 13 terminates short of the outer longitudinal edge of the section 9, and extends beyond the adjacent end 22 of the section 14. The opposite end 23 of the latter section projects beyond the adjacent end 24'of the section 13. Also, the side section 8 is cut out or reduced in width adjacent the section 13, as indicated at 25,:the width of said out out portion being equal to the combined width of the ends 23 and 24. Thus, after the sections 13 and 14 have been folded on the lines 10 and 11 into superimposed relation, and'the section 8 has been folded over as shown in Figure 5, the opposite surface of the end 23 and the same surface of the end 24, as shown in Fig. 4, will be exposed so that said ends can be engaged by the opposite end portions 22 and 21, respectively, of the sections 14 and 13 when the side section 9 is folded over into overlapping relation to the section 8.

When the stage in the operation of forming the envelope has been reached which is shown in Fig. 5, adhesive should be applied to either of the edges of the sections 8 or 9 shown uppermost in said figure, and also to the sealing flap 26 which closes one end of the envelope. Preferably, a strip of adhesive 27 is applied in any desired manner, as by a gumming roller, to the outer edge of the flap 9 and this strip is made to cover the edge of the main portion of said flap, the ends 21 and 22 of the sections 13 and 14, the adjacent end of the section 15 and the contiguous tab 20. After this gumming operation is completed, the section 9 is folded over in the same manner as the section 8 whereupon the two sections will be overlapped and secured together, with the ends 21 and 22 overlying the ends 24 and 23, respectively, and the portion of the section 9 extending beyond the end 21 similarly overlying the opposed portion of the flap 8 which is contiguous to the cutout 25. Thus the entire lengths of the two outer edges of the sections 8 and 9, including the abutting tabs 20, will be secured together, after which the flap 26 is folded over upon said sections to seal the adjacent end of the envelope and thus complete the same.

What is claimed is:

1. An envelope, bag, wrapper, sack, or similar enclosing device or closing integument or covering, comprising a blank having longitudinal score lines to define the front of the body of the envelope and side sections capable of being overlapped and constituting the back thereof, said blank being further scored to define a 'pliu'ality of transverse sections certain of which are foldable one upon the other in superimposed relation to form a closure for the open end of the envelope and also to form a pocket for receiving said closure when the same is in closing position, the length of certain of said transverse sections beingless than the combined width of said front and side sections and the adjacent ends of the former sections extending one beyond the other,

whereby an overlapping end extending from one side of the envelope may receive an adhesive and be adhesively connected to the corresponding overlapping end extending from the other side of the envelope.

'2. An envelopebag, wrapper, sack, orsimilar enclosing device or closing integument or covering, comprising a blank having longitudinal score lines to define the front of the body of the envelope and side sections capable of being overlapped and constituting the back thereof, said blank being further scored to define a plurality of transverse sections certain of which are foldable one uponthe other in superimposed relation to forma closure for the open end of the envelope and also to form a pocket for receiving said closure when the same is in closing position, the adjacent ends of certain of said transverse sections extending one beyond the other with'certain of the projecting ends provided with adhesive adapted to'be engaged by opposite projecting ends of said sections when said side sections are folded upon said longitudinal score lines.

3. An envelope, bag, wrapper, sack, or similar enclosing device or closing integument or covering, comprising a blank having longitudinal score lines to define the front of the body of the envelope and side sections constituting the back thereof, said blank being further scored to define a plurality of transverse sections certain of which are foldable one upon the other in superimposed relation to form a pocket for receiving said closure when the same is in closing position, the adjacent ends of certain of said transverse sections extending one beyond the other with certain of the projecting ends provided with adhesive adapted to be engaged by opposite projecting ends of said sections when said side sections are folded upon said longitudinal score lines, and one of said side sections having a cutout portion adjacent an end of one of said transverse sections which cut-out portion is wider than any one of said projecting ends.

4. An envelope, bag, wrapper, sack, or similar enclosing device or closing integument or covering formed of a blank which is scored to define a body including foldable side sections, transverse sections foldable into superimposed relation to each other with adjacent ends thereof relatively offset, a strip of adhesive applied to an edge of one of said side sections and covering certain of the ends of said transverse sections, the latter ends being adapted to be engaged by the corresponding opposite ends of said transverse sections when said side sections are folded, and another transverse section ioldable with said side sections to form a closure member for the envelope.

5. An envelope, bag, wrapper, sack, or similar enclosing device or closing integument or covering, comprising a blank having longitudinal score lines to define the front of the body of the envelope and side sections constituting the back thereof, said blank being further provided with an end extension scored to define a plurality of transverse sections certain of which are foldable one upon the other in superimposed relation to form a closure for the open end of the envelope, said extension also serving to form a pocket for receiving said closure when the same is in closing position, the length of certain of said transverse sections being less than the combined width of said front and side sections and the adjacent ends of the former sections extending one beyond the other, whereby an overlapping end extending from one side of the envelope may receive an adhesive and be adhesively connected to the corresponding overlapping end extending from the other side of the envelope.

6. An envelope, bag, wrapper, sack, or similar enclosing device or closing integument or covering, comprising a blank having longitudinal score lines to define the front of the body of the envelope and side sections constituting the back thereof, said blank being further provided with an end portion scored to define a plurality of transverse sections certain of which are foldable one upon the other in superimposed relation, said end portion serving to form a pocket for receiving said closure when the same is in closing position, the adjacent ends of certain of said sections extending one beyond the other with certain of the projecting ends provided with adhesive adapted to be engaged opposite projecting ends of said sections when said side sections are folded upon said longitudinal score lines.

7. An envelope, bag, wrapper, sack, or similar enclosing device or closing integument or covering, comprising a blank having longitudinal score lines to define the front of the body of the envelope and side sections constituting the back thereof, said blank being further provided with an end extension scored to define a plurality of transverse sections certain of which are foldable one upon the other in superimposed relation to form a closure for the open end of the envelope and also to form a pocket for receiving said closure when the same is in closing position, the adjacent ends of certain of said sections extending one beyond the other with certain of the projecting ends provided with adhesive adapted to be engaged by opposite projecting ends of said sections when said side sections are folded upon said longitudinal score lines.

FRIDOLIN A. BUHOLZER. GEORGE SCI-IOCK. 

